Cheryl

My RO and MO were all hot to trot on me getting a Neck dissection after Radiation and chemo, Like your husband, I just said NO and refused, Luckily for my caregiver wife, my ENT surgeon backed me up based on a clean MRI. I was dead set against a neck dissection because at least half the time, all the nodes are just fine.
Now I did end up a neck dissection the second time around since I was having so much surgery, it was a piece of cake in comparison. Even so, out of the nodes removed, they were all fine except for one necrotic one. (killed by radiation but potentially dangerous).
Good luck as I know just how terrible we men can be during this treatment. I think you are right that he needs bigger doses of pain pills if he is 6'7". Ask his doctor about a nice 75 mg Fentanyl patch. I am only 5'11' and my dosage is a 50 mg patch It really does help to have a constant level of pain medication coursing through you, I remember the ups and downs and manic behavior well. I hope the PET scan works, I found MRIs more reliable in finding cancer